Prodder with force feedback
AssigneesDEW Engineering and Development Limited, Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defense
InventorsMichael A. Borza, Patrick J. Gallagher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A detector for detecting detonatable devices such as land mines has a search head with a probe having a tip for placing beneath the surface of the ground. The probe tip ultrasonically provides an indication of the presence of a metal or plastic material. A force sensor coupled to the probe time provides an indication of force at the tip a it is placed beneath the ground surface. Therefore, before too much force is applied to the tip, a user is warned and accidental detonation may be prevented.
Claims15
A detector for detecting detonatable devices or land mines, comprising:
- a search head including a probe having a tip for placing beneath the surface of the ground, the probe tip for providing an indication of the presence of a metal or plastic material;
- and,
- a force sensor other than an operator of the prodding rod for providing an indication of a force at the tip as it is placed beneath the ground surface, the indication independent of the indication of the presence of a metal or plastic material.
A detector for detecting detonatable devices or land mines, comprising:
- a search head including a probe having a tip for placing beneath the surface of the ground, the probe tip for providing an indication of the presence of a metal or plastic material;
- and,
- a force sensor other than an operator of the prodding rod for providing a signal that varies with a change in force applied to the tip.
A prodding rod having a driver portion and a sensing end for contacting an object to be detected, comprising:
- means at or near the driver portion of the rod for imparting mechanical energy into the rod toward the sensing end, and for detecting a signal corresponding to a reflected wave, the signal containing information for determining a characteristic of the object;
- a processor for processing the detected signal and for comparing the detected signal with a plurality of stored signals so as to categorize the object's material;
- and,
- a force sensor other than an operator of the prodding rod for sensing the force applied to the object by the sensing end of the rod, a sensed force being other than directly related to the detected signal.
A detector for detecting detonatable devices or land mines, comprising:
- a search head including a probe having a tip for placing beneath the surface of the ground, the probe tip for providing an indication of the presence of a metal or plastic material;
- and,
- a force sensor other than an operator of the prodding rod for providing an indication of a force at the tip as it is placed beneath the ground surface, the indication being one of a signal indicating a suitability of the force at the tip for providing an indication of the presence of a metal or plastic material, a signal related to the force at the tip for use in determining the presence of a metal or plastic material, and a signal based on a measurement of the force at the tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.